*******************************DOS UTILITIES********************************* This document provides information for 3 DOS Utilities, which are: o Using the SCSI Low-level Format Utility o Using the SCSI SYM53C8XX Config Utility o Using the SCSI SYM53C8XX Verify Utility Each section contains features, descriptions, and troubleshooting information. ****************** Using the SCSI Low-level Format Utility ****************** * * * * * * * * * * * Features * * * * * * * * * * * * o Works with any ASPI-compatible host adapter o Provides a graphical user interface (GUI) o Supports multiple adapter/drive selection o Supports multiple LUNs o Supports Wide (16-bit) SCSI o Provides automatic error retry o Provides on-screen display of time elapsed * * * * * * * * * * * Description * * * * * * * * * * * This utility allows you to low-level format SCSI hard disk drives connected to Symbios PCI to SCSI host adapters. It provides a friendly graphical user interface (GUI), and help is available for any decision screen by pressing F1 or selecting Help in the window. Note: The ASPIFMT utility requires at least a VGA compatible monitor to display this utility. Three files, located on your Symbios SDMS drivers diskette, are required to run this utility. They are labeled ASPIFMT.EXE, ASPIINF.DAT, and ASPI8XX.SYS (you may use another ASPI manager). It is recommended that you place these files on a DOS bootable diskette, and run the executable file from this diskette rather than from a hard disk drive. This minimizes the possibility of interfering with your system. To run the SDMS SCSI Low-level Format Utility: 1. Create a DOS bootable diskette. 2. Because a hard drive remains unusuable after a low-level format until you execute the DOS FDISK and FORMAT command procedures, the CONFIG.SYS file on this bootable diskette must also contain these DOS files. Therefore, add these files to the diskette: FDISK.EXE FORMAT.COM From the "Utilities Diskette:" ASPIFMT.EXE ASPIINF.DAT From the "DOS Diskette:" ASPI8XX.SYS From the "DOS Diskette", only if you are formatting removable media drives: SYMDISK.SYS 3. Also create a CONFIG.SYS file to place on this bootable diskette with the single line: device=a:\aspi8xx.sys If you need SYMDISK.SYS, include this line: device=a:\symdisk.sys 4. Boot from this diskette and at the DOS prompt type: aspifmt and press Enter. The recommended minimum memory requirement for this utility is 2 MB. You need at least 500 KB of conventional DOS memory, and the remainder in extended memory. When you run the format utility, it scans the SCSI bus for all hard disk and removable media drives. Then it generates a display showing the devices found. You may select devices from this display for the utility to format. It can take from several minutes to several hours, depending on the size of the drive, to complete the format. If the format procedure is aborted for any reason, the drive remains unusable until an entire format cycle is completed. Caution: Use extreme caution when selecting a drive for formatting. The format process completely removes all information on a drive. * * * * * * * * * * Troubleshooting * * * * * * * * * * The following are some potential problems and their suggested solutions: * * * Problem * * * Format does not complete and system is frozen. * * * Solution * * * a. Check to see if the drive still has power. b. The only way to terminate the program is to reboot. If the format did not complete, the drive remains unusable until a low-level format is completed. * * * Problem * * * The utility screens are unreadable. * * * Solution * * * Check that the graphics card and the monitor are compatible. For example, an SVGA card, and a VGA monitor may not display the screens accurately. * * * Problem * * * Older magneto-optical (MO) drives may give an unknown error status code if the media is not present. This may cause the ASPIFMT to incorrectly identify the problem. * * * Solution * * * If an unknown status code is received for an MO drive, check to see if the media is present. ************ Using the SCSI SYM53C8XX DOS CONFIGURATION Utility ************ * * * * * * * * * * * Features * * * * * * * * * * * * o Configures all DOS drivers o Works for all Symbios SYM53C8XX PCI host adapters o Provides a SCSI bus view showing all SYM53C8XX cards and attached peripherals o Provides a graphical user interface (GUI) o Provides online Help * * * * * * * * * * * Description * * * * * * * * * * * This utility provides a user-friendly way to configure any of the DOS-based drivers for the CONFIG.SYS file. It assumes the drivers are already installed. The ASPI8XX.SYS driver must be present and loaded for this utility to run. On-line help is available at each step for each screen you encounter. You may press F1 at any time for a list of all the help available. Several files are required to run this utility. They are: o CONFIG.EXE o CONFIG.DAT o 8BITBUS.PCX o 16BITBUS.PCX o ADAPTERS.PCX o LUNVIEW.PCX o TILE.PCX o VIEWIT.PCX o ASPI8XX.SYS. If ASPI8XX.SYS already exists on your system and is pointed to by the driver line in the CONFIG.SYS file, you do not need it in the same directory as CONFIG.EXE. It is included here in case an install of the drivers has not yet taken place. If this is the case, add the line DEVICE=[path]ASPI8XX.SYS to the CONFIG.SYS file. Then, reboot for it to take effect. The path specified in the above line is your choice (C:\SYMBIOS is recommended), and ASPI8XX.SYS must be copied to that location. If you wish to configure the SYMDISK.SYS or SYMCD.SYS DOS drivers, they also require installation prior to running the SCSI BIOS Configuration Utility. To do a full installation of all the DOS drivers, run the SYM53C8XX installation utility. The recommended minimum memory requirement for this utility is 2 MB. You need at least 500 KB of conventional DOS memory, and the remainder in extended memory. * * * * * * * * * * * Troubleshooting * * * * * * * * * * The following is a possible problem with its suggested solution: * * * Problem * * * The utility screens are unreadable. * * * Solution * * * Check that your graphics card and your monitor match. For example, an SVGA card, and a VGA monitor may not deliver the screens. ****************** Using the SCSI SYM53C8XX VERIFY Utility ***************** * * * * * * * * * * * Features * * * * * * * * * * * * o Provides a system check for our SDMS 4.0 software o Detects any vendor's adapters and ASPI managers o Shows detailed device information found on these adapters o Provides a graphical user interface (GUI) o Provides on-line Help * * * * * * * * * * * Description * * * * * * * * * * * This utility troubleshoots your system by systematically testing and checking various hardware and software components. No changes or side effects occur to the system as a result of running this utility. The first screen displays a help button. Click on the help button for a detailed explanation about what tests and checks are performed on the system. A majority of the information received by this utility is via ASPI commands. Therefore, this utility is most helpful if an ASPI manager is loaded at the time it is run. Although some limited information can be found without one, an error is reported if it does not find an ASPI manager. Note that any vendor's ASPI manager suffices. The following files are required to run this utility: o SYMDIAG.EXE and o Z_VER.DAT. Also, ASPI8XX.SYS is included with these files in the event that it is not already installed in the CONFIG.SYS file. If ASPI8XX.SYS already exists on your system and is pointed to by the driver line in the CONFIG.SYS file, you do not need it in the same directory as SYMDIAG.EXE. It is included here in case an install of the drivers has not yet taken place. If this is the case, add the following line to the CONFIG.SYS file: DEVICE=[path]ASPI8XX.SYS Then, reboot your system for it to take effect. The path specified in the above line is your choice(C:\SYMBIOS is recommended) and ASPI8XX.SYS must be copied to that [path] location. The recommended minimum memory requirement for this utility is 2 MB. You need at least 500 KB of conventional DOS memory, and the remainder in extended memory. * * * * * * * * * * * Troubleshooting * * * * * * * * * * The following is a possible problem with its suggested solution: * * * Problem * * * The utility screens are unreadable * * * Solution * * * Check that your graphics card and your monitor match. For example, an SVGA card, and a VGA monitor may not deliver the screens.